Mathis community remembers fallen soldier

The tears of one family for their son were shared by many in the Mathis
community as Cpl. Andres Aguilar Jr. was laid to rest Thursday.

Mathis hasnt seen a soldier die at war in 38 years, when a
Marine died in Vietnam. But the small community embraced the
21-year-old Marines ultimate sacrifice. At 11 p.m. the night
before Aguilars body arrived, a flower shop owner tied red,
white, blue and black ribbons on telephone poles and businesses
displayed their condolences on signs out front.

Residents lined the streets, holding flags, hands over their hearts.
People came in droves for the services. And when the funeral procession
made its way around Mathis, it took a short detour around the schools
to see the communitys support once again. Students, some too
young to understand war, lined the sidewalks and saluted the grieving
family.

"Out of all the funerals Ive been to, Ive never seen
this," Col. Greg Boyle, Commanding Officer of the Third Marine regiment
told the family the said just before presenting them with a United
States flag. "?All the school kids, all the family, all the people.
Ive just never seen anything like it."

Aguilar, 21, of Victoria, died April 2 when the seven-ton truck in
which he and five others were riding in rolled over in a flash flood
near Al Asad, Iraq. All six Marines died, according to a Department of
Defense statement Wednesday.

Aguilar is survived by his parents, Andres and Olivia; two sisters,
Amanda and Andrea Aguilar; and a brother, Alex Aguilar, all of
Victoria.